The Quick Trip Center at the Tulsa Fairgrounds was a perfect site for the visit by the Tea Party Express. On the tour from Nevada to Washington, D.C. on tax day (April 15), Tulsa was wedged between Topeka, KS and Little Rock, AR. The busses drove inside the huge exposition building to greet 1000+ rock solid conservative protesters of big government and recent actions by the congress. An early morning rain had convinced the organizers that the crowd would be more comfortable inside rather than in the shadow of the iconic “Golden Driller” standing in front of the building.
In general and not surprisingly, the theme was one of absolute disgust and discontent with the recent developments in Washington, D. C. The crowd was not isolated in one age group, as many I have seen, due to the presence of young children, young couples and many in the middle age bracket. The older demographic (mine!) was strongly present but no more than equally vocal in their protests. Here an apology is offered for our ineptitude on being abe to transfer pictures. No body ever accused me of being a geek.
Although not as traffic stopping as the assembly in Searchlight, NV, the crowd probably did exceed 1000 and was equally as enthusiastic. Diversity was very much apparent and the polite crowd showed no signs of overt hostility and tolerance and respect ruled the day. The Oklahoma Black Caucus was well represented and provided an excellent speaker and one of the crowd favorites from the Express was Lloyd Marcus. Interestingly, after I took his picture, he suggested that we have someone take a shot of two of us. He definitely looks better in the picture than your host.
The crowd area was ringed with booths with both conservative candidates for office and vendors hawking shirts, signs, books, flags, and other appropriate paraphernalia. During the presentation by the Express crew, they involved the crowd as much as possible in songs, dance and just general hootin’ and hollerin’.
All in all, it was a fabulous day and one you should not miss it if you have the time and resources to attend. You will be amazed at the cordiality of the Tea Party Express group and the attendees as well.
Thank you Tulsa for being the gracious hosts you were.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Tea Party Express -- Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, OK 6:50 pm --- The Tea Party in Tulsa has about run its course for this stop on the tour. It was fantastic. They kept the crowd stirred and proved much thought about the state of the nation. It was well worth the 300 mile round trip to share America and its values with these patriots.
When I get home tonight I shall attempt to write a longer post and if the gods of the internet are in the right configuration I hope to be able to share some pictures as well.
For today, my final thought is a word of thanks to whoever dreamed up the idea of the Tea Party Express. It is a priceless opportunity to share your hopes for America with a solid group of patriotic Americans.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
When I get home tonight I shall attempt to write a longer post and if the gods of the internet are in the right configuration I hope to be able to share some pictures as well.
For today, my final thought is a word of thanks to whoever dreamed up the idea of the Tea Party Express. It is a priceless opportunity to share your hopes for America with a solid group of patriotic Americans.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Big Government -- Reduced Services
Mid week finds us under a continued assault from an expanding government at every level. The intrusion into the lives of the citizens moves apace with the bureaucratic desire to exert additional controls. Mark Steyn in National Review caught California and their genius governor, Schwartzenegger, in a further effort to bring the Golden State under the thumb of increasing bureaucracy.
For greater efficiency, “he combined the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair with the Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation and renamed it the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation. Mr. Steyn then suggested, “Why not the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings, Lingerie and Gift Wrap?”
This will no doubt require the addition of several new employees just to change over the stationary, business cards, signage, and a reprint of every document to reflect the name change. More jobs saved and jobs created I guess. To think that these people express surprise that the state is for all intent and purposes, bankrupt.
At the federal level, we face an even more ominous threat. Where on the outside of your house are you going to hang your new license plate? License plate you say? Yes, some believe that provisions within the Cap and Trade legislation passed by the house about a year ago, include articles which could easily lead to that. These critics foresee a formal certification of the energy efficiency achieved by retrofitting and upgrading (read that weather proofing) existing homes. Among those who never saw a liberal program they didn’t like--that would include snopes.com—are on the offensive in disagreement. My money is on an expanded role of government in these matters and further abridgement of our liberties.
As it currently stands, the only beneficiaries are the Al Gores of the world and their ilk who stand to obtain a substantial financial gain from the resultant trades. The legislation has yet to pass the Senate but it is doubtful that it can be held off past the upcoming midterm elections. For common slobs, the result would be a minimum hike in the electric bill of $340 per year and it goes up from there as your consumption increases. Hey, it’s only money and it’s “for the children.”
These two items are just a couple things which I thought I’d toss out to wreck your day. If I cause you enough worry, perhaps you will be admitted to a hospital for treatment and get to try out your new socialized medicine. Don’t thank me, it’s my job.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
For greater efficiency, “he combined the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair with the Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation and renamed it the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation. Mr. Steyn then suggested, “Why not the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings, Lingerie and Gift Wrap?”
This will no doubt require the addition of several new employees just to change over the stationary, business cards, signage, and a reprint of every document to reflect the name change. More jobs saved and jobs created I guess. To think that these people express surprise that the state is for all intent and purposes, bankrupt.
At the federal level, we face an even more ominous threat. Where on the outside of your house are you going to hang your new license plate? License plate you say? Yes, some believe that provisions within the Cap and Trade legislation passed by the house about a year ago, include articles which could easily lead to that. These critics foresee a formal certification of the energy efficiency achieved by retrofitting and upgrading (read that weather proofing) existing homes. Among those who never saw a liberal program they didn’t like--that would include snopes.com—are on the offensive in disagreement. My money is on an expanded role of government in these matters and further abridgement of our liberties.
As it currently stands, the only beneficiaries are the Al Gores of the world and their ilk who stand to obtain a substantial financial gain from the resultant trades. The legislation has yet to pass the Senate but it is doubtful that it can be held off past the upcoming midterm elections. For common slobs, the result would be a minimum hike in the electric bill of $340 per year and it goes up from there as your consumption increases. Hey, it’s only money and it’s “for the children.”
These two items are just a couple things which I thought I’d toss out to wreck your day. If I cause you enough worry, perhaps you will be admitted to a hospital for treatment and get to try out your new socialized medicine. Don’t thank me, it’s my job.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Oil Drilling, Troop Visits and Polling
Over the last few days we have had two separate situations which involved revelations designed more to enhance poll numbers than forward the goals of the country. The first was the trip to Afghanistan to visit the troops by the president. He was on the ground for about six hours the night he arrived. At least two hours of that was spent with the country’s leader. Other time was spent with our government officials which left less than two hours to visit with the troops and the customary photo op. No mention was made of any consultation with the commanding general in the theater. The conclusion then must be that the primary purpose of flying half way around the world was for the sole purpose of advancing his position in the polls. That is a huge carbon expenditure for 2 lousy points on Rasmussen.
The second matter had to do with the announcement that he would no longer be a party to restricting vital exploration and recovery of crude oil in the water off our coasts. The waters covered in the announcement were off the Virginia coast in the Atlantic, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and the north slope of Alaska. What made the notice ingenuous was it was not accompanied by his assurances that he would curtail the activities of concerned federal agencies which have acted in opposition to oil recovery. If the EPA is not appropriately constrained from interference in the proposed up tick in activity, the proposal is left flapping in the breeze. His words have no impact if these agencies are not held in check as well; and he knows it. The cheap shot worked because the result was, the “strongly disapprove” number sank to -8 on Rasmussen.
I must confess that this endless campaign mode is really getting tiresome.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
The second matter had to do with the announcement that he would no longer be a party to restricting vital exploration and recovery of crude oil in the water off our coasts. The waters covered in the announcement were off the Virginia coast in the Atlantic, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and the north slope of Alaska. What made the notice ingenuous was it was not accompanied by his assurances that he would curtail the activities of concerned federal agencies which have acted in opposition to oil recovery. If the EPA is not appropriately constrained from interference in the proposed up tick in activity, the proposal is left flapping in the breeze. His words have no impact if these agencies are not held in check as well; and he knows it. The cheap shot worked because the result was, the “strongly disapprove” number sank to -8 on Rasmussen.
I must confess that this endless campaign mode is really getting tiresome.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Socialism !!!
Get used to it!! This is a word which you might as well get accustomed to using. No matter how repugnant it is to believe that it would ever be used to describe our government, it is now appropriate. As a former citizen of a free republic, I resent being part of any nation which has turned to socialism. Had I moved intentionally to China, Russia, or any of the other socialist republics I could have easily assigned the blame—to me. That was not the case; this change in governmental style came to me and as easily as a raging stream engulfs a rock. To complete the analogy, I can only conclude that we need fewer rocks and more dams.
If you have been honing your Rip van Winkle act for the last fifteen months, please note we have socialized the banks, nationalized industry, socialized health care plus the environment, and have stopped just short of changing the words to the National Anthem. We have, with lightening speed, turned the home of the brave into the hovel of the wuss. The only adequate excuse that is comprehensible is that the entire program has been unbelievably rapid. Only the absence of the rumble of tanks prevents the description: blitzkrieg. In other words Rip; you’d better wake up to this ongoing threat to America.
The good news is that fragmentary remnants of our constitutional republic remain to halt this scourge. The founders in their wisdom provided the tools to not only resist, but also to soundly defeat the, so far, successful effort to alter our governmental system. However we, meaning all citizens, must first firmly and absolutely identify the problems we face. We must immediately stop using the euphemisms the leftists prefer. Health Care is nothing of the sort; it is socialized medicine. The seizure of General Motors was not a bailout; it was the nationalization of a private industry. Almost every step attempted or accomplished by the president and the congress for the past fifteen months has had socialization as its goal.
The reason for the all-out attack on the moral structure of the Tea Party movement is the realization by the socialists that “these people get it.” By hurling accusations of racism, sexual epithets, class distinctions, and other specious claims they attempt to discredit that movement by the people which poses the only dire threat to their nefarious ends. Absent a conspicuous leader and organizational structure, the great body of the people utilize the power granted it by our constitution. The key weapons in the struggle are the freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. The salvation of the republic necessarily lies in those guarantees. If this nation is to be saved it will be through the exercise of those rights by individual citizens. No other remedy is available.
From the formation of the republic, every historic crisis our nation has faced has been met by the resolve of its citizens, once they firmly identified the problems. Although we are peopled by a complex polyglot of mixed nationalities, races, and backgrounds, we enjoy the commonality provided by our God given rights outlined in the constitution for each and every person. It is our duty as citizens, to inform our fellows of the severity of the current crisis. Each must commit to those principles that have served us so well for two and quarter centuries. We must clearly understand our rights and insist upon them. Barring that we shall sink into the depravity which is a socialist and eventually a despotic existence.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
Cross posted at Conservative Firestorm
If you have been honing your Rip van Winkle act for the last fifteen months, please note we have socialized the banks, nationalized industry, socialized health care plus the environment, and have stopped just short of changing the words to the National Anthem. We have, with lightening speed, turned the home of the brave into the hovel of the wuss. The only adequate excuse that is comprehensible is that the entire program has been unbelievably rapid. Only the absence of the rumble of tanks prevents the description: blitzkrieg. In other words Rip; you’d better wake up to this ongoing threat to America.
The good news is that fragmentary remnants of our constitutional republic remain to halt this scourge. The founders in their wisdom provided the tools to not only resist, but also to soundly defeat the, so far, successful effort to alter our governmental system. However we, meaning all citizens, must first firmly and absolutely identify the problems we face. We must immediately stop using the euphemisms the leftists prefer. Health Care is nothing of the sort; it is socialized medicine. The seizure of General Motors was not a bailout; it was the nationalization of a private industry. Almost every step attempted or accomplished by the president and the congress for the past fifteen months has had socialization as its goal.
The reason for the all-out attack on the moral structure of the Tea Party movement is the realization by the socialists that “these people get it.” By hurling accusations of racism, sexual epithets, class distinctions, and other specious claims they attempt to discredit that movement by the people which poses the only dire threat to their nefarious ends. Absent a conspicuous leader and organizational structure, the great body of the people utilize the power granted it by our constitution. The key weapons in the struggle are the freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. The salvation of the republic necessarily lies in those guarantees. If this nation is to be saved it will be through the exercise of those rights by individual citizens. No other remedy is available.
From the formation of the republic, every historic crisis our nation has faced has been met by the resolve of its citizens, once they firmly identified the problems. Although we are peopled by a complex polyglot of mixed nationalities, races, and backgrounds, we enjoy the commonality provided by our God given rights outlined in the constitution for each and every person. It is our duty as citizens, to inform our fellows of the severity of the current crisis. Each must commit to those principles that have served us so well for two and quarter centuries. We must clearly understand our rights and insist upon them. Barring that we shall sink into the depravity which is a socialist and eventually a despotic existence.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
Cross posted at Conservative Firestorm
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday Morning Rant 139
Brother Jim Gray held forth this morning on the requirements from God. A noble effort and a genuine learning experience regarding some unfamiliar scriptures. It is a privilege to be in the presence of folks who believe in and actually think about the warmth of meanings printed in that cold type on the pages.
The flood waters are now receding and spring is in evidence everywhere. What a glorious time to go to Tulsa later this week and cheer on the Tea Party Express on their way to D.C. for Tax Day festivities. One can only hope that we might have a better turnout than tiny Searchlight, Nevada. Last September, I was in Washington to greet the Express when they arrived for the 9/12 protest and March on the capitol. For an overview of the route and where you might cheer them on, consult the "free republic" website for the map and schedule.
The lead-off with Sarah Palin and the other patriots started them with a bang. Check the schedule of the event in your area and plan to attend if possible. It is a huge tool to focus interest on the big event in Washington and deserves our support. If you are unable to participate in the Washington Protest on Tax Day, seek out the events in your locality to add your voice. Don’t listen to the left: they are scared to death of this citizen led effort. (Ed: for our old friends in the UP; there is a “whistle stop” in Ironwood at 6:30 pm, 4/8.)
More Grins at CNN”s Expense
As a former (twice) Clark County Nevada resident and extremely familiar with the area I laughed my tail off as I read this report. When you click the link you will find some pictures of the Tea Party Express visit to Searchlight. The most telling is the shot taken from a few miles north (on the Vegas side) of town on US 95. The curve at the lower border is at least 2.5 miles (13,200 feet) from the center of town. The backed-up traffic is bumper-to-bumper in a double lane going into town. 13,200 X 2 divided by 20’ per car equals 1320 cars at that point. With two persons per car, one finds verifiable evidence of 2640 people southbound into Searchlight going NOWHERE! The shot was taken one and a half hours after the party started! Note the numbers of cars parked on both sides whose occupants no doubt walked on in.
My earliest concern was where in the world would they find enough places in town to even park the cars necessary to support the projected crowd. Somewhere in your background you have familiarity with a crossroads community with a population of 576. Can you imagine how the town of your memory would ever be able to park that many cars? We shall not even speak of the horrors of supplying toilet facilities for a mob like that.
This is the event which CNN reported as “dozens” of people in attendance! Oh, I forgot, situated between Laughlin and Las Vegas, the mobs of visitors were no doubt at the town’s only casino exercising the one-armed bandits. Forgive me please as I am still laughing.
“Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing?”
That is the opening verse of Psalm 2 (KJV) and is brought to mind after writing the previous entry. When God offered the early peoples everything, including dominion over their enemies, they continued to rage and intentionally misunderstand God’s message. One would think that confronted with the obvious omnipotence of God that they might be somewhat more compliant and anxious to do His will. Apparently that is where the vanity comes in.
People haven’t changed much over the millennia. Ignorant self-interest continues to rule the lives of men. Some are content to exchange short term gain for long term suffering and misery in the bowels of hell. They appease themselves with the assertion that hell is only a concept in a musty old book and is not real. We have huge blocs of our population who are comfortable in the denial of an afterlife; for good or ill. They then take that misconception as a license to lie, cheat, steal and do horrendous harm with their mistaken belief that they do so with impunity. I wish them well but fear hearing their anguished screams when they discover that their notion of eternity is in error.
God is merciful but reserves it largely for the repentant.
Maxine Speaks
I have an old boyhood friend in Austin, TX who keeps me up to date on the latest pronouncements from “Maxine.” This is latest:
“Let me get this straight. We’re going to be gifted with a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn’t understand it; passed by a Congress that hasn’t read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president who also hasn’t read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes, to be over seen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that’s broke.
What the hell could possibly go wrong?”
And Finally,
Friends, there is a lot going on in the world and especially in politics. In the ancient past—that would be pre-1960—we could measure the importance of a news item by its position on the page of a newspaper. In today’s fast breaking scene there is not enough room on that page to handle everything of importance. Add to that the faux stories which are included for their political relevance and propaganda usefulness and any measurements become immediately corrupt.
The most recent example is the president’s trip to observe the situation in Afghanistan. His only refuge from declining poll numbers and ever increasing disdain from the electorate is to associate with that group of government employees most beloved by the people--the military. He disposed of his normal distaste for these noble warriors and hopped over for a quick visit. Predictably, our ever fickle public responded with a minor up tick in the numbers. As a people, our strong suit is definitely not discernment and few will recognize his ingenuous efforts for what they actually represent. Yes, you are absolutely right—I am a cynic.
Meanwhile, the predicted high today is 70º with bright sunshine and four similar days to come. Pray with me that it holds for the trip to Tulsa on Friday. The birds continue to gorge and preen on the deck near the feeders and life has taken a spring time turn in the Ozarks. God is good.
In His abiding, love,
Cecil Moon
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